Canadian ETFs October’s Launches And Terminations

The Canadian ETF space is getting crowded with more than 650 ETFs offered by 33 ETF issuers. This month, iA Clarington Investments joined the industry with the active ETF series of IA Clarington Core Plus Bond Fund, iA Clarington Global Bond Fund and iA Clarington Emerging Markets Bond Fund. Two new providers are set to join the ETF industry in 2019.

National Bank Investments filed a preliminary prospectus to launch its first suite of ETFs. It consists of four ETFs: an active Canadian preferred shares ETF, an ETF that invests in equity securities of family-owned Canadian companies, a global real estate and infrastructure sectors ETF and a liquid alternatives ETF. Management fees for this suite range from 35 to 90 basis points.

Middlefield Group, a Specialty Investment Manager which creates and manages specialized investment products for individual and institutional investors, will convert two closed-end funds into exchange-traded funds. Middlefield Healthcare & Life Sciences Dividend Fund and REIT INDEXPLUS Income Fund, which together represent approximately $150-million in assets, are expected to be converted into ETFs in early 2019.